Ondas Holdings Inc. announced that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted the Optimus-1EX system a Type Certificate that will streamline operational approvals for broad flight operations over people and infrastructure. The certification verifies the compliance of the system?s design with the required FAA airworthiness and noise standards, ensuring safe operation within the National Airspace System (NAS) thereby significantly broadening the range of operational scenarios and scaling up of operations for automated Uncrewed Aircraft (UAs). David Boulter, the FAA?s Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, is expected to announce the Type Certificate award during the keynote session Wednesday morning at the Commercial UAV Expo being held in Las Vegas.

The first-of-its-kind certification for a non-air carrier UA was achieved after four years of intensive engineering and operational review processes conducted by the FAA. The Optimus System is already operating regularly in urban environments in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ondas plans to leverage their experience in the UAE, and their newly type-certificated vehicle, to conduct similar operations in urban environments across the U.S., aligning with the Company?s vision of deploying fleets of Optimus Systems as a permanent drone infrastructure.

This infrastructure aims to provide Smart City solutions, enhance public safety, enable Drone as a First Responder (DFR) capabilities, and offer various commercial and industrial aerial data services. Type Certificates hold significant importance and value in the aviation industry. The certification process is designed to ensure that aircraft and components meet specific airworthiness standards set by the regulatory authority.

The FAA initially began working with leading commercial drone manufacturers, including Airobotics, on the type certification process in 2019. Airobotics, focused on data capturing in urban environments, stands as the first non-air carrier vehicle to achieve it among numerous companies pursuing UAS type certification with the FAA. The Optimus System ranks among the most mature automated drone platforms in the market in terms of proven reliability, safety, and value.

Ondas believes the Type Certificate presents a game-changing solution for local governments and commercial entities seeking to streamline aerial data capture using a safe and certified airworthy UAS. Already deployed in the UAE and Israel, the Optimus System relies on fleets of automated drones that operate without on-the-ground human intervention. These drones function as a task force, simultaneously collecting and providing critical information for various customer requirements.

Each Optimus System, networked as fleet infrastructure, includes a smart airbase enabling automated battery changes for 24/7 operations. It also facilitates automated loading and installation of sensors suited for each specified mission. Optimus drones cover a perimeter of up to 30 square miles surrounding an airbase.

Drone flights can be tasked with specific sensors, enabling diverse tasks within the fleet. Complex, longer-term operations can be activated, overseen by remote operators in a command-and-control center.